Summer has truly arrived when gardens are full of blooms and visitors. The beautiful weather of late spring guarantees gorgeous gardens this year. Our intensely beautiful summer is worth the wait, and best celebrated with hours spent outdoors, in beautiful Northwest gardens.

The Woodinville Garden Club’s fourteenth annual Tour of Gardens will be held on Saturday, July 20th, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This self-drive tour features five stunning private gardens that offer patrons a visual feast of color and texture, unique plant combinations and artistic embellishments. Several new attractions have been added to the tour, with no change in the price of admission. Tickets are $20 per person. Proceeds from the tour are used to fund the scholarships given each year, as well as civic beautification projects and support for environmental education projects.

For your convenience, tickets can be purchased online via the club website: www.woodinvillegardenclub.org. As a bonus, orders placed online will ship with a voucher for a free 2013 tour poster per ticket while supplies last. Plan to end your tour day at a private reception at Molbak’s from 3:30-5 p.m. This event will include a wine tasting by Brian Carter Cellars. At 4:30 p.m., the raffle drawing will take place for these enticing prizes:

Original signed artwork by Jannelle Loewen used for our tour poster. ($1,200 value)

One night accommodation for two at the acclaimed Willows Lodge in Woodinville. ($349 value)

Three $300 Tree Country, LLC gift certificates for one hour of tree services, including pruning, removal or stump grinding.

Raffle tickets can be purchased in all of the gardens and at the after-tour reception. Winners need not be present to win.

Tickets are also available at Molbak’s, Classic Nursery (Woodinville), Boxhill Farm Nursery (Duvall), Wells Medina Nursery (Medina) and Ravenna Gardens (Seattle). Your ticket is a brochure that includes garden descriptions and driving directions to all the properties.

The Woodinville Garden Club was established in 1984 as a community organization, whose mission is to offer enrichment through learning about horticulture, participating in civic beautification and enjoying friendships as we pursue these activities.

The Tour of Gardens was organized to showcase the diverse beauty and design of local gardens. A portion of the proceeds of the tour and the club’s other annual fundraiser, the Plant Sale at Chateau Ste. Michelle, are used to fund ongoing civic projects, including civic beautification, horticulture scholarships and educational activities.

The Woodinville Garden Club extends our interest in gardening, horticultural education, civic beautification and environmental stewardship through various civic projects. These projects allow us to make a difference in our community, the region and the world.

Our most recent civic beautification project was the installation of a Georgia Gerber sculpture at the Woodinville Sports Fields.Recent or ongoing projects

$25,000 commission for a bronze sculpture by local artist Georgia Gerber for the Woodinville Sports Fields.

Scholarships in the amount of $2,250 each awarded to students pursuing horticulture or environmental degrees.

Bellevue Botanical Society contributions for special projects at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens.

Northshore Adult Day Care Center landscaping for senior citizens in Bothell and the surrounding community.

Seattle Children’s Play Garden funds for washer/dryer appliances and a rabbit and chicken enclosure.

Donations to Seattle Tilth for the Seattle Youth Gardening Works program empowering homeless and underserved youth through garden-based education and employment.

This is an entrepreneurial job-training program emphasizing innovation and responsibility. Youth grow, package and sell produce at local farmers markets and through local restaurants, participating in all aspects of the food system and gaining a range of employment skills.

Graduates of this program have opportunities interning with Seattle Tilth’s other programs and with partner organizations that build on the skills learned at Seattle Youth Garden Works.

Donations to Northshore Schools elementary outdoor gardening projects, along with member participation as mentors.

The Woodinville Garden Club would like to acknowledge the businesses and patrons in our community who have helped support our 14th annual Tour of Gardens. Their financial support and contributions to the tour are greatly appreciated and allow us to fund our ongoing civic programs and special projects.

Many thanks to Molbak’s, Butler and Butler Real Estate and The Woodinville Weekly.